A cozy, heartwarming book about a village library fighting to stay open, a woman struggling with years' of grief, and a community of people, each more than they appear, coming together to offer support for the library and each other. Also: a voracious reader hates every book she reads, an old school chum may want to get chummy, an ill-tempered cat is ill-tempered, and a wheel of brie takes down three (they deserve it). Perfect for fans of The Authenticity Project!

Brimming with library love and book references, The Last Chance Library follows June Jones, Chalcot's assistant librarian, as the cocoon of safety she's been living in since her mom's death is threatened by an impending vote to close area libraries. An eccentric group of library patrons refuse to let their beloved village library close without a fight. Which is fine with June, except she can't help them. She just can't. She isn't a strong and vibrant leader like her mom — she can't even bear to lead story time at the library — and her hands are tied in other ways as well. But perhaps she could secretly help by investigating what may be troubling motives behind the closure? WWMD? What would Matilda do?

With a touch of mystery, a touch of romance, and an endearing cast of characters, this is a sweet story with flashes of creativity and humor that make it easily forgiven for its ultimate predictability.

Topics, tropes and themes: community, community resources, libraries, books, reading, grief, social safety net, corporate and community development, corruption, depression, self image, family, friends
Content notes: death of a parent, death of a friend, cancer, family estrangement, alcoholism, squatting/houselessness, fear of public speaking, anxiety attacks, social awkwardness, snobbish bullying and unkindness

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital ARC.